Be in the know.

Small businesses are agile and able to move and respond to the times much quicker and more efficiently than larger businesses. The question is where to focus first and what to do as a business owner. Before looking into how to position and rebrand your business and offerings, ensure you have a solid understanding of your primary customer. This does not mean stopping at the surface with general trends such as geographic reach and household income — take the time to understand what your customers face during this time, how they are affected, and how their habits may have shifted.

With this insight, you can reach out to your customer in a much more meaningful way and gain increased awareness of how to position your business to stay relevant. Avoid the common pitfall where the primary customer is not the focus. If you are too general or try to include all potential markets — secondary and tertiary reach — you may lose the focus and therefore the understanding of your core customer. Don't assume you know — ask! Whether through direct conversations, online questionnaires, surveys, or email and blog threads, people share, and that valuable insight will only help your business strategy and direction.

Now look internally to determine the gaps between what you are offering and what the client is experiencing. Are you providing relevant products or services? Does your messaging, packaging, website, and marketing collateral speak to your primary market? Common trends we have identified are that customers are looking for key fundamentals. Does your brand offer integrity and trust? In a marketplace with a high level of skepticism, if trust and transparency are premises throughout your business practices, highlight and communicate that. It matters.

Another common trend is stability and certainty. With companies closing, people are hesitant to engage with the unfamiliar. Share your story, how long you have been in business, and what your growth entails — communicating solid roots with a focus on the future shows you have no plans of disappearing mid-transaction. Finally, a trend across multiple sectors is delivering value. It is not that people always need a bargain basement; customers make decisions with a focus on value and are willing to pay for it. From complimentary gift wrapping to added customer service, additional value lends itself to a lasting brand impression.

The next step is how to communicate your message. Ensure the messaging does not waver from your company's brand platform. If you have always stood for high performance, innovative products, or customer intimacy, there is no need to change who you are. The key is to relate your brand to the current market, highlight the elements of your business that matter to your audience, and build from what has been successful while re-inventing what has not. Once your messages are finalized, be consistent across all channels — phone, web, print. Businesses taking action to stay relevant and connect with their market are poised for success. Engage your customer, understand them, and position your business to respond to their needs, concerns, and habits.

Be Relevant. Start by determining the issues and challenges on the forefront of your customers' minds. Address these topical matters directly in relation to your brand platform and how your business consistently responds. It is an opportunity to identify with your customers and, in return, have your customers identify with your brand.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. In these conditions, when people don't know what to do, they often do nothing at all — resulting in uncertainty and a lack of confidence. Implement a communication plan that arms your team with vehicles and procedures to reach and stay connected to your customer. A cohesive, meaningful plan significantly reduces uncertainty, breeds confidence, and builds long-term loyalty. Then check in with your staff to measure how it's working.

Save Money. Save Trees. Digitize. As the world is engulfed in recession, opportunities are present. Incorporate technology into your communication plan. Regular newsletters or announcements with relevant updates are valuable to customers, reinforce your brand, and keep you in front of your market — while saving on printing and postage, allowing you to track results, and reducing your carbon footprint.

Align Internally. Any misalignment with your brand can create a contradiction in the marketplace. Brand alignment starts from within and then bleeds into external perception. For your organization to stay connected with the brand, your people must be informed and involved. Communicate your strategy, vision, and plan to employees — clarity rears motivation and helps shape one consistent perception.

Zero In. When sales are down, marketing decreases — but do not eliminate your reach completely. Segment your primary market from your secondary and follow-on markets. With a narrowed reach, you spend less on the customer base that does not maximize profitability, become laser-focused on building loyalty, and ultimately increase your ROI.

When decision-makers and executives don't know what to do, they tend to do nothing at all. The consequences are uncertainty, a lack of confidence, and a potential disconnect from target audiences. There are simple methods to combat this, beginning with implementing a communication plan. Arming staff with vehicles and procedures to reach and stay connected to target audiences aligns internal teams and creates a cohesive, meaningful solution that reduces uncertainty, breeds confidence, and builds long-term loyalty.

Communication plans should define the channels and methods that reach your markets based on how they engage with your company and brand. Ensure key messages and brand positioning are relatable to the current environment. Take the time to determine the issues and challenges facing customers, and address these matters directly in relation to your brand platform — it is an opportunity to identify with your customers and, in return, have them identify with your brand.

As the world is engulfed in recession, opportunities are present. Incorporate technology into your communication plan. Regular newsletters and announcements are valuable to customers, reinforce your brand, and keep you in front of your market while virally acquiring and managing audiences. The additional benefits of green communication include saving on printing and postage, tracking your results, and reducing your carbon footprint.

In determining your vehicles, segment your primary market from your secondary. With a narrowed reach, you spend less on the customer base that does not maximize profitability, become laser-focused on building loyalty, and ultimately increase your ROI. Businesses taking action to connect and stay relevant with their market are poised for success. Don't sit on the sidelines — engage your customer, understand them, and position your business to respond to their needs, concerns, and habits.

Copia Creative has successfully introduced an innovative engagement tool, CC GreenMail, allowing businesses to implement strategic programs that connect with their target market. CC GreenMail supports businesses in virally acquiring and managing audiences and tracking interest and referrals — all with the added benefit of reducing marketing costs and minimizing their carbon footprint.

Case study — Willow Spa. Willow, a tropical wellness spa with a focus on sustainability, has successfully run our CC GreenMail program monthly for over two and a half years. Communications are delivered to a widespread user base in a branded electronic format, featuring promotions, product specials, seasonal offerings, and members-only discounts. Through consistent, effective GreenMail, Willow Spa has increased treatment and product sales as well as overall brand awareness — the e-communication has become viral, with members forwarding it to friends and colleagues.

There are also marketing conditions where the physical experience of direct mail lends itself to desired results, from personal invitations to events and programs. For traditional campaigns, there are ways to become more socially responsible: design mailings to be recyclable using water-based inks and uncoated stocks; use recycled materials; print on both sides; source paper certified by organizations such as the Sustainable Forest Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council; regularly update mailing lists to limit waste; and encourage customers to recycle. Use research to effectively target your customers — folks who live in apartment buildings, for example, probably don't need lawn services.

Corporations that do not stay current, comprehend, embrace, and utilize technology and advance with the times are now distant memories. If we are to survive in lean times we must be aware of this constantly changing landscape. Whether economic growth or recession, boom or bust — knowing how to use these communication vehicles and keeping current with innovative trends to connect with your target market is essential.

Consistently and cohesively reinforcing your brand through such channels assists in managing public perception, remaining interconnected, and establishing a platform to make wise business decisions now and in the future.